If You Lack a Mentor: In Gratitude to Sally Clarkson

As a now “older mom” among many of my friends, I found myself in an odd and often lonely season of motherhood. It is so easy to make friends when our kids are little. Playdates at the park or story times at the library are the perfect conditions for forming friendships around the common experience of mothering. But there comes a time when the kids grow up and our day-to-day interactions with them vary to such a degree from what others around us may be experiencing that mothering can no longer be an easy common ground from which a friendship can spring. The friendships are based on other things. Good things. But not necessarily common parenting styles (or outcomes!).

Then there was the realization that, as an “older mom,” I lacked a mentor for myself…someone who has weathered the storms and walked through the hardships that are the reality of raising children to adulthood. The lack was not out of desire to have one, but out of the practical nature of my life these days…finding time to sit and chat over coffee is difficult to do. Homeschooling four children, parenting five, shuffling kids to ball practice, dance, music, youth group, doctors’ appointments, etc (and carving out time to practice my cello!) consume my daytime hours very quickly. Then factor in the reality that we recently moved into a new neighborhood in a new town and, well, building a mentoring relationship just takes time. Time that I haven’t had.

Do you relate to this?

Enter Sally Clarkson.

I had heard of her for a couple of years and knew she had homeschooled her children ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. Nothing less than a heroic feat, in my book. Because teenagers.

Anyway, I began to listen to her podcast, “At Home with Sally” and in this older woman, who I have never met, I found what I needed.

A mentor.

Sally raised four children who all turned out to be amazing, gifted adults that love Jesus and love their mama. But that is not why I love her. I love Sally because what she did was not easy. Learning disabilities, mental illness, tragedy and hardship were all part of her story of mothering. She is honest about those things, honest about her failures and successes. She looks back through the lens of experience and wisdom and gently reminds us that, though there are things we can do to foster life in our homes, above all our kids belong to the Lord and we can trust Him with them. Somehow, in her quiet voice, she speaks loudly into my flaws and struggles, encouraging me to not let failure prevent me from taking the next step, or from loving when it is hard. She has taught me that much of my tension comes from being highly idealistic, which is not a bad thing but can certainly be frustrating to certain members of my family. Ahem. She models selflessness and faith and the gift of hospitality as a form of worship. She reminds me to light candles and warm up the pancake syrup because those little things speak into the hearts of my children and draw them close. In the difficult seasons of my life, Sally reminds me to hope and to never, ever give up. God uses broken vessels.

I’m most definitely a cracked pot in His Kingdom!

I don’t know if you have a mentor. I certainly hope you do. But if that is something you wish for I would love to introduce you to Sally. She doesn’t know me, has no idea this little corner of the internet even exists, but I feel that so many of my friends would benefit from letting her speak truth as we drive our kids to appointments or get ready in the mornings. Nothing can replace real-life relationships and face-to-face conversation, but someone like Sally has filled a much-needed gap in my life. And while my “real” friendships grow and develop I feel that what I am learning from her will serve me well as I move forward into this next phase of life. I will share the links below. I receive nothing for this. It is purely out of a desire to bless you that I share Sally Clarkson with you.

At Home with Sally and Friends – if you do nothing else, subscribe to this. I anticipate each new episode every week, listening to many of them over and over. Rich with stories, hope and encouragement, Sally’s gentle voice is always calming to my often fretting heart. http://sallyclarkson.com/podcast/

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Author: Jeanine

Wife, Mom, daughter of the King. I love coffee, books, writing, and good conversation. I hope to be an effective advocate for the Kingdom of God and inspire others to want to know the Lord more intimately.
Jesus + Nothing = Everything
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